Air valve for internal-combustion engines



Nov. 4, 1924. 1,513,997

G. E. INGRAM Y AIR VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Fi led Oct. 2. 192a III VEfiiuI' GEORGE E' lrmm Patented Nov. 4, 1924.

UNITED TES @FFlCE.

AIR VALVE FOR- INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed. October 2, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that I, GEORGE E. INGRAM, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in an Air Valve for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention related to improvements in internal combustion engines, and particularly related to the provision of an air valve arranged to admit or' exclude air from the cylinder when the engine is in operation.

The primary object is to provide an improved device for controlling the admission air into the cylinders of'an internal combustion with a View to reducing the fuel consumption and hence the cost of operation.

A further object is to provide an improved construction whereby an air control valve may be resiliently held in position to admit or exclude air for a cylinder as desired, thereby varying the character of a charge "without substantially varying the total volume of mixture or decreasing the degree of compression.

A still further object is to provide an improved device of simple and efficient construction which may be easily assembled and operated.

I accomplished these and other objects by means of the device disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present specification wherein like characters of reference are used to designate similar parts throughout said specification and drawings and inwhich,

Fig. 1 is a broken vertical section of a cylinder disclosing my improved air valve applied thereto, said valve being shown in the air excluding position.

Fig.2 is a similar View showing the valve moved to the air admitting position.

Fig; 3-is a broken sectional detail showing the arrangement of the air passages and the valve mounting.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 is used to designate in general a cylinder of an internal combustion, within which cylinder is mounted the usual reciprocating piston 2.

An air port 3 is formed in the side of the iston, and seats are formed upon the inner and outer'sides of port as at 4 and 5. A

Serial No. 666,139.

valve stem 6 is slidably mounted within said port and valves 7 and 8 secured in spaced relation upon said stem to engage the seats 4- and 5 respectively for different positions of the stem 6, said stem being carried within a bearing S'centrally disposed within't'he port 3.

The stem 6 is provided with an outwardly extending end 11 having a slot 12 formed therein. An actuating member 13 is slidably mounted'upon the outer side of the cylinder adjacent the outwardly extending end 11, and a spring 14 is secured upon said actuating member and arranged to engage the slot 12. The actuating member is preferably mounted upon a cap 16 secured upon the cylinder to cover the port 3 and the valves, an aperture 17 being formed in said cap to communicate with the atmosphere and admit air into the cap and to the port 3 in a manner hereinafter more fully described.

The spring let is preferably a flat leaf spring normally disposed in angular relation to the actuating member 13 so that when the actuating member is elevated to its upper position as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings the outer end of the spring will force the stem 6 inwardly and cause the outer valve "8 to engage the seat 5 and be held resiliently thereagainst. When the actuating member is depressed the spring 14 will cause the stem to be moved'outwardly to normally hold the inner valve 7 in resilient engagement. with the seat 4 as shown in Fig. 2 ofthe drawings.

The port 3 preferably consists of a 'p'ai'r'of arcuate pasage's arranged upon opposite sides of the bearing portion 9 above mentioned, said passages being adapted to be entirely closed when either valve 7 or 8 is seated in normal position.

The operation of my invention is as follows: In starting the engine, the actuating member is moved manually by means of any appropriate connections, not shown, mounted in a position readilly accessible to the operator, to the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings whereby the stem 6 is moved to seat the outer valve 8 upon its seat 5, and resiliently held in such position by the outer end or" the spring 14. When now the piston 2 is reciprocated in the usual manner within the cylinder, thevalve 8 will prevent air from being drawn into the cylinder'through "in connection with automobile engines.

into the cylinder through the usual intake 18 for setting the engine into motion.

After the engine has been set in motion, the actuating lever is moved to the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the spring 14 being thereby depressed to move the valves outwardly as shown. In this position the outer valve 8 is unseated and the inner valve held in resilient engagement with the seat 4.

. lVhen now the piston descends upon its suction stroke, the suction created will lift the valve 7 slightly from its seat, the valves being moved against the resistance of the spring so as to permit the entrance of air past the outer valve 8. The inclined arrangement of the spring 14: prevents the valves from being moved suiiiciently to cause the outer valve to become seated upon the seat 4, due to the fact that in this position the stem engages the spring near the point of attachment thereof upon the member 13. The air drawn past the valve 8 will of course become mixed with the charge of gas drawn in through the intake 18 and will be compressed therewith upon the succeeding compression stroke of the piston. In this manner the suction effective in drawing in the charge of gas will be reduced and at the same time air will be admitted to the cylinder to dilute the charge of gas without reducing the degree to which the mixture within the charge is compressed. During the compression and firing strokes the internal pressure will cause the inner valve 7 to seat and thus prevent the escape of gas from the cylinder.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a simple and effective means for causing the introduction of air into the cylinder independently of the gas intake. This arrangement is of particular advantage In this connection, the valve is moved to exclude air from the cylinder while the engine being started and until the automobile has been set in motion. When the, desired speed has been attained the momentum acquired carries the automobile forward with the application of but a relatively small amount of power. Under this condition the valve is moved to the air admitting position so that air will be introduced intothe cylinder simultaneously with the charge of gas, the amount of gas being reduced and diluted accordingly. By thus admitting air the total volume of gas within the cylinder is maintained practically constant so that the diluted charge will be compressed to substantially the same degree as the richer charge used in starting. As increased efliciency is thus obtained from the gas and power thus obtained from a reduced amount of gas sufficient to keep the automobile in motion at the desired speed. In event the load is in creased, as when ascending a grade, the valve may of course be moved to the air excluding position and permit the full rich mixture to be drawn into the cylinder.

While I have shown what I now consider to be the preferred form of my invention, it will of course be noted that the device may be modified as to form, construction, and arrangement in a great number of ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, I therefore do not wish to restrict myself closely to the particular construction shown but desire to avail myself of all modifications which may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination with a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, said cylinder having an opening therein, and seats formed upon the inner and outer walls of the cylinder adjacent the opening, of valves carried upon a common valve stem slidably mounted within the opening; and means for moving said valve to normally open or close said opening to admit or exclude air from the cylinder as desired.

2. The combination with a cylinder of an internal combustion engine having a valve port therein, of a valve slidably mounted within said valve port; an actuating member slidably mounted adjacent the cylinder; and means carried by the actuating member for normally holding the valve in an open position when the actuating member is in one position, and to normally hold the valve in a closed position when the actuating member is in another position whereby air may be admitted or excluded from the cylinder as desired.

3. The combination with a cylinder of an internal combustion engine having a valve port therein, of a valve slidably mounted within said port; an actuating member slidably mounted adjacent the cylinder; and a spring secured upon said actuating member and engaging the valve to normally hold said valve in an open position when the actuating member is in one position, and to normally hold the valve in a closed position when the actuating member is in another position to admit or exclude air from the cylinder as desired.

4. The combination with a cylinder of an internal combustion engine having-a passage in the wall thereof and valve seats formed upon the inner and outer extreme of said passage, of a valve stem slidably mounted within said passage, one end of said stem extending outwardly from the cylinder; valves mounted in spaced relation upon said stem and arranged to engagethe valve seats; and resilient means for moving said stem to cause a desired valve to engage its seat whereby said valves may be caused to admit or exclude air from the cylinder as desired when the engine is in operation.

5. The combination with a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, said cylinder having a valve passage formed in the Wall thereof and valve seats formed upon the inner and outer sides: of the wall adjacent the passage, of a valve stem slidably mounted within the passage, one end of said stem extending outwardly from the cylinder; a pair of valves mounted in spaced relation upon said stem and adapted for engagement with the valve seats, said valves being arranged to be independently seated for different positions of the stem; an actuating member slidably mounted upon the outer side of the cylinder; a spring secured upon the actuating member and slidably engaging the outwardly extending end of the stem whereby said stem may be moved to cause either valve to be normally held in resilient engagement with its valve seat to admit or exclude air from the cylinder when the engine is in operation.

In Witness whereof I hereunto set my signature.

GEORGE E. INGRAM. 

